A human rights activist, Murad recounts her traumatic and ultimately inspiring story of captivity by the Islamic State. In 2014, the Islamic State slaughtered the people of her small farming village, killing most of her family members.

Jenifer Lewis, star of black-ish, chronicles her journey from growing up poor in the Midwest to making it in Hollywood. The road to Hollywood was filled with dysfunction and an undiagnosed mental illness.

Maude Julien’s parents raised her to be an ultimate survivor, she grew up on an isolated estate and endured numerous drills, such as sitting perfectly still in a rat-infested cellar, to eliminate weakness. Julien’s story has been compared to Jeannette Walls’ Glass Castle.

The finalists for the National Book Award presented by the National Book Foundation were announced this morning. These awards are intended to celebrate the best of American literature, to expand its audience and to enhance the cultural value of great writing in America. Awards are given in four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Young Person’s Literature. The winners in each category will be announced at the National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Gala on November 15 in New York City. Congratulations to all the finalists!

The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones
In an unspecified future, citizens of the United States are forced to live in zones deemed safe from killer ticks. Few have any reason to venture out of zone, except wealthy adventurers who pay to journey beyond the safe zones to experience wilderness and relics of the past. With clever world-building, great character development and a thrilling pace, The Salt Line is a gripping story of survival and humanity.

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy
Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than 10,000 women served as codebreakers during World War II. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. A strict vow of secrecy nearly erased their efforts from history. Code Girls brings this riveting and vital story to life.

Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks
While the stories in this collection are all very different — with a variety of narrators, settings and time periods — they are all connected by one thing: the typewriter. Whether a casual aside or the main star of the narrative, a typewriter appears in each story, and they are all based on typewriters in Hanks' own extensive collection.

Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly
Astronaut Scott Kelly volunteered to spend a year in space and holds the record for the number of consecutive days spent in space; his memoir covers not only this trip and his previous trips to space, but also his life growing up and his thoughts about the future of space exploration. A fascinating look at an extraordinary life.